Marble-projector



(No Mbde'l.)

J; H GREENWOOD MARBLE PROJECTOR.

- No. 296,405. Patented Apr. 8

" INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES" PATENT FFICE.

' JOHN H. ennnnwoon, or oonnnnus, OHIO.

MARBLE-PROJ ECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,405, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed July 3, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonn H. Gnnnnwoon, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marble-Projectors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a new game of marbles for children, and to produce a device for playing such game.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of the device complete and ready to throw the marble. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same, showing the various parts in the same position as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the position of the various parts when the marble is thrown. In Figs. 2 and 3 the section is taken at right angles to the plane of view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a modification of one portion of the device, and which portion will be hereinafter explained.

A is a short tube or cylinder, the upper end of which is surmounted by a flared portion or bowl, A. This tube may be made of tin or any other desired material. A bottom, a, is secured or formed in the lower end of the tube A, which bottom has an opening, a. This tube A is provided with one or more (preferably two) legs, B, made of wire or other suitable material, one end of each leg being secured to the tube, andthe other end sharpened to permit it to be readily driven or pushed into the ground.

Within the tube A is a plunger, B, said plunger passing through the opening in the bottom of the tube. "To that end of the'plunger which is within the tube is secured a disk or head, 1'"), and to the end of the plunger which is without the tube is secured atarget, 1), consisting of a ball or disk or plate of any suitable material. A spiral spring, 0, surrounds the plunger 13 within the tube A, the lower end of said spring resting on the bottom a of the tube and the upper end of the spring resting against the disk or head I), the constant tendency of said spring being to raise the plunger.

In one side of the plunger B is formed a notch, d, which notch, when the plunger is drawn d own, as shown in Fig. 2, may be (No model.)

caused to engage with the bottom a, thereby holding the plunger in this position.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The legs B are inserted in the ground, and the plunger B is then depressed until the notch d engages with the bottom a. A marble or pellet is now placed in the bowl A on top of the tube A, and the boy the'n shoots his marble or other missile at the target I), and'when the lat ter is hit the blow disengages the notch d from the bottom a, and the plunger flies up under the impulse of the spring 0, and the dlslc b strikes the-marble in the bowl A with such force that it is projected into the air.

As before stated, the target I), though prefera-bly made in the, form of a ball, may, if desired, be made in the form of a disk, in which event the disk is preferably formed as shown in Fig. 4, consisting of the two end portlons, E, connected by a narrow neck, e,-and belng stamped or cut in this shape from a sheet of metahafter which the two end portions are bent together, inclosing and secured to the end of the plunger B, and forming a single disk thereon.

Thetube A may be set at any desired angle to the legs B and be made of any desired shape, and the spring 0 will'be made to conform to the shape of the tube. A spiral metal spring, as shown, is preferably employed. Xeverthe less a spring of rubber or other material, and of a suiu ble shape to carry out the purposes of my invention, may be used instead of such spiral metal spring.

If desired, the bowl or flared upper end, A, of the tube A maybe omitted, in which event the marble to be projected will be placed in the tube A above the disk I), and when the plunger is forced up by the spring the marble will be thrown from the tube.

I am aware that a game apparatus has been heretofore constructed by the employment of which marbles are pushed off from a block by means of triggers; but as no springs are employed in this apparatus, the marbles are not projected into the air; but the construction of my device causes the marble, pellet, ball, or equivalent projectile to be thrown some distance up into the air.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A marble-projector consisting of a tube suitably supported and having an interior spring-plunger, the outer end of said plunger being provided with a target, and means, substantially as described, for compressing the spring of the plunger and retaining it in this position until released by ablow on the target, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The tube A, provided with legs 13, in combination with the plunger B,loeated partly within said tube, and provided with aspring, as C, the outer end of said plunger being pro vided with a target, 1/, and mechanism for re taining it-in this position until released by a blow on the target I), substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The tube A, having a flared upper end or bowl, A, and a perforated bottom, a, and provided with legs B, in combination with the plunger 13, having a head or disk, I), and a target, I), located partly within the tube A, and provided with a notch, d, adapted to engage with the bottom a, that portion of the plunger which is within the tube being surrounded by a spring, 0, compressed between the head I) and the bottom, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The toy substantially as set forth, and consisting of legs B, tube A, spring-rest a, spring 0, plunger 13, carrying the target I), and spring locking device, the top of the tube being adapted to receive and sustain a marble or other pellet, substantially as and for the purposes described.

JOHN H. GREENWVOOD.

Vituesses:

F. L. BROWN, CHARLES T. BROWN. 

